The addition of simple deflectors can increase wind turbine efficiency as much as 11.4%, a highly significant result, according to research by a Rutgers University team. The key is the ability of the addition of several deflectors to produce more torque.

Vacuum cleaner maker Dyson's stated plans to get into the business of making electric cars appears aimed at taking the technology a step further. The company is reported to be looking at solid state batteries for power -- the next step beyond lithium ion batteries -- and carbon fiber for structural components.

Using drones on construction sites can help managers "improve safety, project efficiency and data accuracy," writes Mike Danielak, director of client strategy and business development at Skyward. Drones help companies perform survey and design tasks for less cost and offer the "added bonus of gathering the data safely," he writes.

Plans are afoot to take wood construction to new heights, specifically 1,148 feet. That's the planned height of a 70-story timber skyscraper proposed in Tokyo, which will extend the natural theme with a vegetative roof and greenery along its exterior.

Akzo Nobel, Air Liquide, Enerkem and the Port of Rotterdam have signed preliminary documents supporting the construction of a waste-to-methanol plant in the Netherlands. If the project moves forward, Akzo Nobel would supply the site with hydrogen and buy methanol from it.

"Nano-factories" may one day go to work inside cancerous tumors, tapping the tumor itself for energy and materials to produce cancer-fighting proteins. Drawing on earlier techniques, researchers load molecular fabricators inside particles mimicking biological cell membranes to create the tiny factories that can then pull materials they need from the cancerous cells.

An experiment with California's Golden State Warriors NBA team, inspired by a midseason slump, revealed that letting team members coach themselves could lead to sharpened performance. Coach Steve Kerr drew four lessons from the successful strategy that may apply in business as well.

Shoreline-protecting mangroves typically prefer warmer climates, but their growth is now being documented at more temperate zones. One study in the area around Florida's Kennedy Space Center found a 70% increase in mangroves over a span of just seven years.